No. 8 Seminoles' kicker on pace to set school mark

Florida State football coach Jimbo Fisher has no problem talking about his undefeated football team. The record is perfect for the No. 8-ranked team in FBS, but there's room for improvement.

The topic of redshirt kicker Roberto Aguayo, however, is another story.

"Dadgumit, don't jinx it," Fisher said with a chuckle.

Aguayo is 26-for-26 on extra points and 7-for-7 on field goals in his first four collegiate games. His 47 points are on pace to surpass Dustin Hopkins' Florida State single-season scoring record of 140 set in 2012. Hopkins accomplished the feat as a senior who also set the Atlantic Coast Conference career scoring mark. He also set the NCAA career scoring record by a kicker at 466 points.

"Everybody kept talking about Dustin and all that, he's just doing a great job of being Roberto," Fisher said, "which is a guy that's extremely talented, has good leg strength and practices with great intensity and great consistency.

"Being able to watch Dustin perform and prepare has really helped him. He's got a great head on his shoulders and has just been very consistent for us."

Life seems fairly simple for Aguayo — the football part, at least. The Seminoles have yet to trail in the second half and Aguayo's long of 45-yards came in the first quarter of a 54-6 rout of Bethune-Cookman. There haven't been any pressure-packed kicks.

Such is life as the kicker on the No. 4 scoring offense in FBS that averages 51.3 points per game. His 33 consecutive kicks made to start a career is a school record.

He might get his shot Saturday when Florida State plays No. 25 Maryland.

"My position is more of a (mental one) — 90 percent mental, 10 percent physical," Aguayo said. "Once you get into your head, once you're nervous and stuff, you're done. That's what I feel I control much better coming into the season.

"Like Jimbo once said, it's like preparing for a test. If you don't prepare right, you're obviously going to be nervous. But as you prepare right during the week, during the offseason, during the summer, when you come in you feel confident. You don't feel that burden of pressure. I prepared good. That's why the feeling of pressure and nervousness is not there. All these games I haven't been as nervous as I thought I was going to be. It is what it is. I do this for a living."

Hopkins (2009-12) isn't the only shadow that Aguayo resides in. Florida State is a program known to produce pro-caliber kickers . Hopkins is on the Buffalo Bills roster. Graham Gano (2005-2008) plays for the Carolina Panthers. Sebastian Janikowski (1997-99) is in his 14th NFL season after being a first-round pick by the Oakland Raiders in 2000.

"He knows that people have kicked here before," Fisher said. "I think he feels a responsibility to try to perform well. At the same time, I tell him don't worry about that. You can't be Sebastian Janikowski, or Graham Gano or Dustin Hopkins.

"You just have to be yourself and do what Roberto does, which is plenty good enough and that's why we recruited you here."

Aguayo is on pace for a single-season record 141 points during the 12-game regular season. That doesn't include a possible ACC title game or bowl game. His current rate puts him on track to break the Hopkins's career record during Aguayo's senior year.

"I surprised myself. ... Take it week by week and eventually that legacy starts growing," Aguayo said. "It's exciting. I think about it, wow, 35 points. ... So, I've just got to do my job and by the end of the season it'll be there.

"But all the stats and all that type of stuff, I'm not really worried about. It's just doing what I have to do for my team and getting the points for them. In the end if the stats are there and I break the record, I break the record. For the most part I just want to help my team. The points will be there."